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DPP to chart new beginning

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) began a new chapter as the senior members — dubbed the party’s princes and princesses by the media — have all refrained from entering the chairmanship election, DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday.

“It wasn’t easy for the princes and princesses to refrain from making a bid, which means it is agreed by all within the party that it should have a new beginning,” Hsieh said.

Addressing party members at a conference discussing the future of the DPP, which was badly beaten in the last three national elections, Hsieh said he expected the party could be completely transformed by a new leader.

Hsieh offered to resign as chairman after losing the presidential election to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) last month.

The party will hold the election for chairman on May 18.

Following the decision by former vice premier Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), 52, who many members consider a dream leader for the embattled party, to join the race at the last minute, the party will start coordination with Tsai and the other two candidates this week.

DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), 73, and former senior presidential advisor Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏), 82, have also joined the race.

Tsai was selected as a legislator-at-large for the party in the 2005 legislative elections after she registered as a member of the 22-year-old DPP in September 2004.

Yesterday’s meeting concluded a series of eight conferences held around the country over the past two weeks that enabled supporters and party members to examine and suggest ways to solve the party’s problems.

Issues on the agenda at yesterday’s closed-door meeting included the lines the party should take when in power, the organizational development of the party and how the party should face national challenges surrounding the country internationally and domestically.

Conclusions pertaining to the DPP’s charter and platform will be sent to the party’s convention next month for full review, party Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said.
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